Reynolds: Discussing the good, bad, ugly

Friday

Feb 17, 2012 at 12:01 AMFeb 17, 2012 at 4:01 PM

Despite a difficult 7-21 last-place season in which the Bradley men’s basketball team has already or may still establish school records for losing and losing badly, first-year coach Geno Ford has no regrets about moving his family here from perennial Mid-American Conference power Kent State.

That was one question among dozens fielded by Ford during the online community chat the Journal Star hosted at noon Thursday.

Dave Reynolds

Despite a difficult 7-21 last-place season in which the Bradley men’s basketball team has already or may still establish school records for losing and losing badly, first-year coach Geno Ford has no regrets about moving his family here from perennial Mid-American Conference power Kent State.

That was one question among dozens fielded by Ford during the online community chat the Journal Star hosted at noon Thursday.

“Abso-lutely zero (regrets),” Ford responded to the questioner. “I’ve enjoyed every day at Bradley. I really enjoy working with Mike (Cross) and the president. And the fan base is as good as there is anywhere in the country. I’m extremely fortunate to be at Bradley.

“... This is a great job. There is a commitment from the Peoria community, as well as the university, to put out a good team. I don’t think it is a negative.”

Ford offered no timetable for returning the Braves to prominence in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.

“It’s going to be a process,” he said. “By definition, processes only have a beginning and not really an end. We need to continue to see growth in leadership, toughness and competitive fire. I think we’ve seen the beginning stages of that development.”

Recruiting was a popular topic, both in discussing signees Tyshon Pickett and Ka’Darryl Bell and future unknown recruits. Although the BU roster is at its NCAA-mandated scholarship limit of 13 for next year, Ford said he and his staff have continued to recruit for next season.

“You never stop recruiting,” he said. “There are two types of coaching staffs: staffs that recruit 365 days a year and coaching staffs that are soon to be let go. We feel very comfortable with what our current needs are with our roster and we will aggressively continue to recruit players that fit those needs and our mission.

“Believe me, we are not the only school that is continuing to recruit. We have been out all year and we not only bump into schools that do not have open roster spots, but we bump into schools that are overcommitted. It’s commonplace that kids that don’t play will generally want to find a situation where they might get more playing time.

“And sometimes you are surprised that someone you have invested minutes with gets homesick or unhappy. You must be prepared for all scenarios and the only way to do that is through tireless effort in recruiting.”

Two questioners focused on why current players Donivine Stewart and Milos Knezevic haven’t seen much playing time this season. Ford noted there were many factors that went into such decisions.

“(They include) practice performance, game performance, understanding of the offensive and defensive assignments,” he said. “... No one ever plays as much as he wants to. That would go for anyone from a starter like Taylor Brown to a reserve who is rarely used.”

Ford said the biggest weaknesses of the current team are physical strength and shooting ability. He was confident the team’s strength would make a jump forward next season once new strength and conditioning coach Cody Roberts has had a longer period to work with the players.

Finally, the BU coach was asked how he’s kept his sense of humor during the dark days of this season.

“Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying,” he responded. “I want our team to have a confidence and resolve about what they are doing. And I want our staff to do the same thing.

“I’m probably not the smartest guy in the world. But one thing I have is a lot of resolve. We came here to get the program back to where everyone wants it. I am not going to allow a tough season, record-wise, to deter me or my players.”

Park ‘n ride ‘mishap’: CityLink’s Park ‘n Ride, a program designed for people to park their cars at remote locations and ride the bus to Civic Center events (for $1 each way) was just Park on Wednesday night for the BU game.

About 150 Bradley fans waited for buses that didn’t come at three locations — Junction City, Evergreen Square and Shoppes at Grand Prairie.

“It was a human scheduling error, just a mishap,” said CityLink director of public relations and marketing Emily West. “It just happened. I’ve been on the phone all day explaining that. People are very understanding.”

West said an alert system was being set up on the company’s website to provide a better line of communication for riders to events.

Trainer leaving BU: Bradley’s head athletics trainer for the past six seasons and a 10-year veteran of the BU medical staff, Marcus Ohnemus, has taken a position with ATI, a physical-therapy company based in Bolingbrook.

Ohnemus, a native of St. Genevieve, Mo., will be a sports medicine supervisor for athletics trainers at seven Chicago-area high schools and some area clubs. With a young family, the regular working hours the job provided was a big draw, Ohnemus said.

“No doubt I’ll miss it here,” he said. “I’ll miss the people, the games. I met my wife (Sarah) here. So I’ll always have a fond place in my heart for Bradley.”

BRAVES BRIEF: Bradley’s 0-for-20 performance from 3-point range in Wednesday’s loss to Drake was two shy of the all-time NCAA record for inept long-range shooting. The record was set in 1995 by Canisius, which was 0-for-22 against St. Bonaventure. That Canisius team, by the way, defeated Bradley in the second round of the NIT in Peoria 55-53.

Dave Reynolds can be reached at 686-3210, at dreynolds@pjstar.com or on Twitter @davereynolds2.